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If you’ve never heard the name Pontifexx, then today is your lucky day. We talked with the Brazilian DJ and producer at the BPM Music popup studio at the Nexus Lounge Amsterdam. He talks about his ADE experience and his latest project and participates in our Take 5 series!
Pontifexx, also known as Tomas Pontifex, is a young Brazilian DJ and producer who has made a name for himself in the country’s most diverse nightclubs with his productions and performances.
Growing up in a musical environment, Tomas Pontifex began taking piano and guitar lessons with his older sister at a young age. After watching the Black Eyed Peas artists and DJ David Guetta perform in 2009 at Estádio do Morumbi and being thrilled by the energy an artist can create in a crowded venue, Pontifexx decided that this was what he desired to do for the rest of his life.
Pontifexx is of the twenty-something generation. His youth contrasts with the maturity of his musical productions, piqued the interest and appreciation of professionals such as Martin Garrix, leading to his signing with the latter’s label STMPD RCRDS.
The current electronic music mecca comprises three major stages: Ultra Music Festival, Tomorrowland, and Ibiza. And Pontifexx, who has appeared in all of them, can check them off his bucket list. However, the DJ and producer do not stop there. He recently performed at the Amsterdam Dance Event and had the time of his life. “It’s crazy because I play with my friend, and everybody gets together. So it’s walking around Amsterdam, and you find many DJs that are your friends and DJs that you are inspired to.”
The secret of the young DJ from São Paulo is to tell deep stories in each of his tracks, which reflect all his feelings. This is evident and audible in his newest single, "One Nation," a song about dreams and soccer. "It will be called One Nation, and it's a song with Brazilian, Portuguese, English, and a lot of rhythms from funky and Brazilian rhythms. So it's going to be a very different song that I've produced," Pontifexx described. Pontifexx had the pleasure of producing alongside many great artists, such as 2STRANGE, Marissol Mwaba, and Sarah Roston.
Pontifexx, despite his youth, is a brilliant man. When asked how he would describe electronic music to someone deaf, he replied, “Electronic music is like a constant beat that you can put many different things together. You can put lots of genres inside those beats, and if you’re in the vibe, it just keeps pushing you on. Like you don’t stop, you feel the constant groove, which puts a rhythm to your head, and you stick to it.”
To learn more about Pontifexx, including what he does to maintain a positive mental health space, listen to our full interview below:
